[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Depression?? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/3/2004 4:03:02 PM EDT
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Does anyone know anything about depression? Some info or knowledge of symptoms. Anyone ever dealt or deal with it? Thanks Will |
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Lack of interest in things others enjoy (and/or things you used to enjoy); Literal wish for death, with or without suicidal planning; Profound lack of motivation; Unusual uncommunicativeness; Deep sadness. It ain't "the blues." If you think you're depressed by a particular situation, but remain depressed when it's resolved, that's a clue. If you have to keep coming up with new excuses/explanations for the way you feel, that's another clue. Whoever you're asking about should see a doctor. The drugs they have for depression work well, and you don't have to take them forever. If your question hasn't been answered yet, keep asking. |
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First off it is me. I have everything that FLAL1A said except for the death part. On ocasion i do feel helpless and lost, but i guess i just dont know. Things that i used to do to feel better dont really help anymore. I really dont know why I feel like I do, I have everything that one could ask for. The only thing that I lack is probably the most important, friends. I really have never had a true friend, people that i thought were friends would just end up using me for something then forget. I have dealt with it since i was little, I am only 20. I guess i see everyone around me heading towards a goal, and i cant seem to find one. I know that I am young and have alot left. My biggest prob is that I am EXTREMELY shy and possess virtually no confidence. My job doesnt help much either, I am a farmer so i am alone all day. When u work around people, you tend to break out of your shell a little, you are forced to meet people. Maybe i need help, or maybe i just need to toughen up a bit and stop whining. Anywho thanks for your concern, is nice that everyone here always seems to want to help. Will |
EVERYONE has those thoughts at some time or another. Life can be that way. Keep your chin up. Things will at some point be alot better and you will wonder what all the fuss was about. You can do it. |
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First thing is that it is SO misunderstood by people who dont have it or know someone who has... Depressed and Depression are TOTALLY different. People say "Your depressed?? SNAP OUT OF IT!" Yeah right... tell a cancer patient... "You have cancer? SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" It is a real condition. Another thing is that Depression and Anxiety CAN go hand in hand. There is a book called "The Feeling Good Handbook" By Dr David Burns. Inside has a test for depression and anxiety. It will basically tell you where you are on the depression scale. Depression.... It sucks, but the good part... its treatable and beatable. What is cool is that when the depression and/or anxiety episodes go from 2-3 times a day to 2-3 times a week then a month ... then a year... then... they go away. |
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My fiancee was diagnosed with clinical depression when she was finishing her dissertation, and she is still dealing with it. Her advisor was a total asshole, and her job has been very stressful for the past few years. She has been prescribed medication to help her with it a couple of times, and those drugs are truly amazing. There's a whole family of drugs called serotonin reuptake inhibitors that can be incredibly helpful, when given in the correct dosage. In part, depression is a problem with brain chemistry, and these drugs can be life savers, by helpfin to correct the chemical imbalance. Please do not be afraid of the drugs - but talk to a medical professional and keep an open mind. The might be for you, and they might not. But do not dismiss them before you've informed yourself properly. Physical exercise can also be very helpful. Are you currently working out? Running, biking? Get out there and do something if you are not. It will also help. |
Man is a social animal, Will. I would guess you nailed a big part of the problem on the head above. Since you're not going to meet new people at work, find some group to get involved in. Go hang out with some real people you can talk to. My personal recommendation would be an active church that has small group meetings during the week. It's a lot easier to get to know people in that environment than it is in Sunday services. If that's not something you want to do right now, find something else. A group of local shooters, some other kind of social group. Too much isolation does funny things to the brain; I know. You'll be in my prayers. |
Although it is also worth nothing that the majority of people who end up diagnosed with clinical depression will NOT jsut experience it once, even if they recover completely from the first episode. Most people (not all) will have a second and often more, experience with depression. |
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Getting tough and stop whining...sounds really good to people who have never dealt with the problem but it doesn't work that way. If the problem is persisting without a specific event that precipitates it, or even if a specific event has precipitated it then maybe you should find someone to talk to about it. There are alot of good medications on the market that can help, and those coupled with talking about the problem usually go a long way towards recovery. There are also a couple of good medications to help with the getting out of your shell part. Suffice it to say, you aren't the only person who has been there, so keep your chin up and keep plugging and it can get much better. Also, sometimes a change of routine helps, even a small one. Find a new hobby or something to direct your mind to, and do things that use to make you feel good even if the thought doesn't appeal to you as it will probably help once you are doing them. Good luck. Jason |
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This man speaks the gospel. It will EVENTUALLY go away... it may get to the point that you will say... "Holy shit, its been 3 years and I havent had an episode! COOL!" The other suggestion I have that worked is to get the body and mind working together... Go to the gym and work out... as much as you hate getting up and out... DO IT! two weeks after working out, you will notice a difference. I PROMISE! |
Well...didn't really mean that. Single bad events often make people "depressed" but that clears up on it's own eventually. "Depression" is chemical, and doesn't go away on it's own, at least in my experience. Wasn't sure if that was aimed at my comments or not, but hey thought i needed to clarify. Jason |
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Check out this website, it has a help hotline for farmers in Nebraska. www.uccnebraska.org/mission/RuralLife.html I'm 39yrs old, I farmed & ranched since I was 18. I'm married with 2 kids. Everything was going great until 3yrs ago, had the worst 2 yrs ever, to make a long story short, the bank foreclosed, sold everything, lost my land, 2 vehicles, almost lost my home. I was forced into bankruptcy. the wife and I both had to get "real" jobs. I believe I was very depressed, even not wanting to live anymore. People told me to suck it up and get over it, finally I did! Every time I'd start to feel depressed & feel sorry for myself, I'd just think about how lucky I was to have my health, my wife, my kids, my home, and that we both were able to find jobs close to home. Just try to think about all the positive things in your life, this helped me! I probably should have got some help, I hope you do! I know how you feel about feeling alone, it's not a good feeling. There are several hotlines for farmers who just need to talk to someone, please give one a call, I wish I would have. It helps to pray! Good Luck teamroper2004 |
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Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. user.netonecom.net/~swordman/humor.html |
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I have had all of the symptoms FLAL1A described and was diagnosed with clinical depression. The doc had me try various meds until we hit upon one that works (Celexa). Unfortunately, the science isn't there yet to eliminate the hit and miss aspect of drug therapy. I can tell you from persoanl experience that everything that people have said on this thread, especially DK-Prof, is 100% correct. I have also gone off my meds and have experienced a reccurance of severe depression. Thank God my g/f got me back on them. It's nice to have a positive outlook on life. CW |
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Problems sleeping and eating (both too much and too little) can also be caused by depression. If you end up seeing a doctor for medication or treatment, remember that you will need patience. Even if you find a medication that works for you (ref. the trial and error mentions above), it can take 4-6 weeks to start working. In the meantime you need to find coping mechanisms to keep the worst of the beast at bay. Best of luck! |
There is no such thing as friendship anymore. Don't rely on friends for anything. There are so many people in this world that most people will use you up & throw you out, figuring that they can always buy or find a new friend. When the going gets tough, all of your so-called friends will desert you. BTDT. |
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Depression is real. It can kill you. Enough said. Get with your doc and explore options. SSRIs are no the answer for everyone, but there is help if you have clinical depression, which is indeed a chemical imbalance in the brain, is not something that will go away on its own. Drugs are an important bridge to mental health, but so is self-discipline and guiding your emotions. DON'T GIVE UP!! Help is as far away as this board. Ops |
This is one of the hardest lessons of life. Many folks have given you some good advice here. I would sure second the recommendation to get medical help, if it is warranted. But I would also recommend a Friend to you. His name is Jesus. He is my very best Friend. He never forsakes you. He knows you better than anyone else, yet He loves you the most. He is always ready to listen to you and be there for you. You might fail Him, but He will never fail you. He knows all about depression and knows the answer to it. He will be there when all others are gone. He is ready to listen to you now. He is just a prayer away. If you need to talk, IM me any time. |
Highlighting Lumpy's point perfectly. If you listen to this kind of crap, will, it will only get worse. As I suggested, a church is a great place to look for fellowship. Even if you're not a Christian, seriously. Look around, don't hook up with any organization that's trying to sell you something. Any church worth its salt will welcome an unbeliever; if they didn't they'd be a pathetic little social club. God loves ya, man. More than you or I could ever imagine. The biggest eye-opener for me when I became a believer is that so many everyday experiences and feelings have an obvious spiritual nature. One may argue that these are all just random events, but even if they are, the effect they have on our lives is not random. Edited to add: I'm not dissing the advice to seek medical help, either. I'm just pointing out that it helps to attack the problem from two fronts. |
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I do go and work out as much as possible. I am pretty physical in my day to day also. The religion part is another thing that i am unsure of. I believe in god, but i have questions about alot of it. But getting into a conversation on religion probably isnt a good thing. Sometimes i get real bad, other kinda like now i pretty much good to go. The feelings r still there, but something is allowing them to be drowned out. The worst part for trying to find friends, especially in my town is the only place to find them is in a bar cuz thats all anyone does. I dont wanna sound upity but i dont really believe that one can find anything good in a bar. Everyone says once u start goin youll realize how much fun it is. I guess i just dont see it. In my town there are 2 types of girls, sluts and sluts that got caught. I dont wanna sound rude but thats how it is. Will |
Babies are wonderful things. I think the problem is your perception.
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I am kind of mushy and middle aged around the middle, but I am mentally and emotionally about as tough a person as I have ever met. That's probably why I am alive. I was miserable almost every day of my life until I got drunk and told two friends in succession how I felt. One is a doctor & the other is a theologian. They showed up at my house the next week with a bag full of zoloft samples and the promise that I could give my word to take the pills or the doctor would sign my ass in to the hospital. I took the pills. I literally and honestly had no idea that life could be as sweet as it is. I had moments of pleasure, but could never figure out why people seemed to care whether they lived or died, because I sure as hell didn't. The meds don't make you "happy," they don't take away your mental edge, and other than gaining a little weight and being a sleepy the first couple of weeks you take them, they had no bad side effects on me. I took them for two years, and sort of drifted off them about 2 years ago. Making me take the medicine was the best thing any human being ever did for me, since the day I was born. As somebody else said, it's a physical ailment, like high blood pressure. Go see a doctor, posthaste. It will take a couple of weeks for the meds to take effect, but one day you will wake up and realize that you don't hate life, and you don't dread getting out of bed. Work may still stink. Your car may still stink. But your life won't stink. I second the suggestion to getting serious about finding out who God is and what he wants, but for His sake and yours, go see a doctor and see what he can do to turn off the flow of your suffering right now! If you can't afford a doctor visit, IM me. |
I suggest finding a hobby you enjoy, and maybe you'll meet people that way. I agree that bars are worthless for anything other than drinking or picking fights (don't ask me about my army days  )I've met some great people through things like scuba diving, running, kendo (martial art), gardening, biking, etc. |
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Provided there isn't a great deal of anhedonia, then a hobby might be a good idea. I've had dysthymia for years and unfortunately haven't found much that helps. I've tried all the meds and take Effexor XR. There's a few types of clinical depression and they can be comorbid with other disorders like anxiety. I highly suggest seeing a psychiatrist. I'd skip the family physician or Internist, they will try to treat it, but really don't usually know enough. |
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I have had depression for 18 years. What you need to do to get on the road to recovery is to take some action. 1. you have heard the term Psyco-therapy, it is a combination of getting on the correct medicine and KEEPING a regular schedule with a Psychiatrist. The combination of the medicine and talking to someone about yourself, your problems, or anything that you wouldn't confide with a family member. Talking helps. The reason your go to a Psychiatrist raqther than a therapist is that a Psychiatrist is doctor who compleated his residancy and then went into Psyciatry. As a doctor he is able to made decidsons on whether you have any medical problem, and he knows how to deal with the differant medications. Therapists are fine to talk to you but cannot presribe medications, and must get a Pshyciatrist to prescribe your medicine, but other than that no doctor is involved with monitoring you. 2. Once your find a medication that is right for you, never stop taking it without permission from your doctor. If you are to change medicines your gradually change things. For me If I don't take my medicine at bedtime, when I wake up I know it. I know several people that accidentially went off their medicine and when others in their life were wondering what is up with "him", they figured out that he was off his medicine. 3. Exercise is the single greatest thing YOU can do to help you feel better. I started running, then marathons, and when I couldn't do that any more , I now bicycle. about 100 miles a week. In the winter I go to the gym, I lift and do step aerobics( don't let anyone kid you, step aerobics can be brutal). Your a farmer, you are no Couch potatoe, find some activity you like and make it a part of your life. Life is great, once you have been on treatment for a bit you will one day see out how great life is. Joel |